defoliation when in flower
- Thread starter shhhmokey
- Start date
racerboy71
bud bootlegger
i just remove them all, who needs leaves, i just grow for bud, right? 
Now this is some solid advice that you can take to the bank.i just remove them all, who needs leaves, i just grow for bud, right?
ISK
Well-Known Member
i just remove them all, who needs leaves, i just grow for bud, right?
you can't cut them all......ya got to save at least a few
how can i choose the best quality seeds ?
vitamin_green_inc
Well-Known Member
Hmm, modern studies of tomato production show that defoliation does not adversely effect harvest #'s or quality. It does however, reduce the risk for mold and allows for plants that have been defoliated to have more "marketable" fruits. The most recent study I read providing these results is from 2011 and there are many more older studies that collaborate this
ButchyBoy
Well-Known Member
We are growing cannabis here right? I understand the whole other plants like it thing. I prune my apple, pear and cherry trees along with my tomatoes. I actually have done enough testing on the subject to have a understanding it doesn't work on cannabis plants. I currently have a defoliated plant growing to see how this strain reacts. I am positive it will be the same as the others.
Other than that, I am still watching to see others side by sides.. Hoping to see one actually make it all the way to harvest before the thread goes sideways LOL!!!
skunkd0c
Well-Known Member
We are growing cannabis here right? I understand the whole other plants like it thing. I prune my apple, pear and cherry trees along with my tomatoes. I actually have done enough testing on the subject to have a understanding it doesn't work on cannabis plants. I currently have a defoliated plant growing to see how this strain reacts. I am positive it will be the same as the others.
Other than that, I am still watching to see others side by sides.. Hoping to see one actually make it all the way to harvest before the thread goes sideways LOL!!!
picking some leaves off to keep them tidy is not such a crime
some plants are just too leafy imo
although some plants are small and perhaps need all the leaves they can grow lol
ButchyBoy
Well-Known Member
I pick them off when touching them makes them fall off. I have enough air movement that I do not have PM issues ever (been there and not going back). I do have strains that are damn bushy in the center. As long as I don't have PM all of the leafs stay for the duration. My entire room is reflective so the lower leafs grow side ways and upside down collecting light from the lower walls and floor.
I know most growers want those lower flowers to be huge... Not me
.... Those are the makings of bubble and budder for which there is a demand so I let them grow.
In fear of repeating myself... Plants grow what they need not what they don't need!!
skunkd0c
Well-Known Member
I pick them off when touching them makes them fall off. I have enough air movement that I do not have PM issues ever (been there and not going back). I do have strains that are damn bushy in the center. As long as I don't have PM all of the leafs stay for the duration. My entire room is reflective so the lower leafs grow side ways and upside down collecting light from the lower walls and floor.
I know most growers want those lower flowers to be huge... Not me
In fear of repeating myself... Plants grow what they need not what they don't need!!
i agree with most of what you say, but i do not agree that all plants grow the perfect amount of leaves/branches suited to an indoor situation
in an ideal situation every leaf on every branch every leaf in evey cola would receive equal access to light but this does not happen in practice
especially with stationary overhead lights and branches all fighting for the same light
each branch is in competition for the space and light, allowing them to fight it out among themselves is not wise imo
they should be organised in some way plants require training imo, and some of this training could involve the removal of growth, leaves branches etc
that are healthy .
leaving plants to grow wild without any human intervention with the shape, canopy control etc, can result in lower yields
light can become trapped at the top of the canopy, in some cases plants will not elongate their colas too far out of the canopy
plants that have their colas trapped under a canopy of leaves look awful to me, i have seen a fair few grows from other growers like that
at the opposite end of the spectrum folk who pick almost all the leaves off their plants end up with horrible skinny stick colas, i do not agree with either extreme
i do try to keep as many leaves on my plants as possible without shading and overlap
peace
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ButchyBoy
Well-Known Member
I hear you and appreciate your thoughts....
Through my own experiments and in my own opinion the plants left alone out performed the plants that I removed anything from. I did not read it and no one told me. I have a room full of ugly plants due to my experimenting. I am still learning like all of us are. My best grows have been untouched plants that get tap water only in large tubs of soil. All natural you could say!!!
vitamin_green_inc
Well-Known Member
Hmm, I just want to point out that those studies agreed with your points about too extreme and actually clarified that the top 15% of foliage accounts for 80% of the photosynthesis that happens.
I also want to point out that these are scientific studies down with controls and your anecdotal evidence while relevant is insinificant vs the studies I am talking about where thousands upon thousands of acres of plants have been run.
I would also like to point out that Hightimes did a similar study and regardless of how mainstream their info is, it still applies...
I also want to point out that your argument? Is silly. Cannabis growing, again and again is proven to be just like every other crop, and to believe otherwise is to be the guy that spends more money on Advanced Nutrients that his crop
I also want to point out that these are scientific studies down with controls and your anecdotal evidence while relevant is insinificant vs the studies I am talking about where thousands upon thousands of acres of plants have been run.
I would also like to point out that Hightimes did a similar study and regardless of how mainstream their info is, it still applies...
I also want to point out that your argument? Is silly. Cannabis growing, again and again is proven to be just like every other crop, and to believe otherwise is to be the guy that spends more money on Advanced Nutrients that his crop
2layz2p
Well-Known Member
In flower "I" find I have a much better yield when I remove a fan leaf that is shading more then that leaf gets on it's own.... , so If I can get light to 10 square inch's and only removed 3 s.i then It's worth it. . I have buds almost the same size all the way down my entire branches.. I LST also, so I'm staying with a pretty much even canopy.....jmo
kiwipaulie
Well-Known Member
My take on it is, outdoor plants, just leave them be. The sun is hot and penetrating.
Indoors however. I have always had better yield on the plants I've trimmed in the past, so now I always trim at day 21 and then pluck away. If the stem on the leaf is over say 1 inch. It's gone. Weed isn't meant to be grown indoors, so to me the methods to do it also need to change. My 1k bulb cannot even come close to what the sun gives out.
Indoors however. I have always had better yield on the plants I've trimmed in the past, so now I always trim at day 21 and then pluck away. If the stem on the leaf is over say 1 inch. It's gone. Weed isn't meant to be grown indoors, so to me the methods to do it also need to change. My 1k bulb cannot even come close to what the sun gives out.
Moonwalk
Well-Known Member
I didn't do much to mine.
When they were like 2-3 feet tall, I pinched them so they'd have more tops and branch out, but otherwise I haven't done any more than pick a yellow leaf off once in awhile.
They are about ten feet tall and dark green and bushy. A few split down the trunk, but all branches survived and are flowering.
I started with about 25-30 plants, had a lot of males, some culled for poor health, so I have about 10-12 plants now.
I guess I'm a lazy grower, but they seem to be doing okay without me messing with them. Mother Nature knows best I think.
When they were like 2-3 feet tall, I pinched them so they'd have more tops and branch out, but otherwise I haven't done any more than pick a yellow leaf off once in awhile.
They are about ten feet tall and dark green and bushy. A few split down the trunk, but all branches survived and are flowering.
I started with about 25-30 plants, had a lot of males, some culled for poor health, so I have about 10-12 plants now.
I guess I'm a lazy grower, but they seem to be doing okay without me messing with them. Mother Nature knows best I think.
Darth Vapour
Well-Known Member
by end of second week you should have all leafs taken off the plant and i mean all of them
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